IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WE3STER,N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


'^     A   "* 
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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Taohnioal  and  BIbliographie  Not«t/Not«t  taohnlquM  at  bibllographiquM 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographlcally  unlqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  Imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  algniflcantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  ehacltad  balow. 


0 


n 


D 


Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


rn   Covara  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagia 

Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raatauria  at/ou  palliculia 

Covar  titia  miaaing/ 

La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

Colourad  mapa/ 

Cartaa  gAographiquaa  an  coulaur 

Coloured  Ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

Colourad  plataa  and/or  illustratlona/ 
Planchaa  at/ou  illustratlona  an  coulaur 


D 


Bound  with  othar  material/ 
Ralii  avac  d'autras  documenta 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reiiura  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  durinf^  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAea 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  ie  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  ceia  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At6  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  8uppl6mentaires: 


L'instltut  a  mIorofilmA  la  maillaur  axamplaire 
qu'll  lul  a  it4  poaalbia  da  aa  procurer.  Laa  dMaila 
da  oat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  unlquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibllographlqua,  qui  pauvant  modifier 
una  Image  raprodulte.  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normala  da  filmaga 
aont  indiqu4a  cl-daaaoua. 


r~n   Colourad  pagaa/ 


Pagaa  da  couleur 

Pagaa  damaged/ 
Pagea  andommagiaa 


□   Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pagaa  rastauries  at/ou  pelllculAes 

0   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pagaa  d4color*ea,  tachatAaa  ou  piqui 


D 


Pagaa  d4color*ea,  tachatAaa  ou  piquAaa 

Pagaa  detached/ 
Pages  ditachias 

Showthrough/ 
Tranaparance 

Quality  of  prin 

Quallt*  InAgala  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  supplAmantaira 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponibie 


I     I  Pagaa  detached/ 

r^  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  vorles/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

r~|  Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  ref limed  to 
enaura  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pages  totaiement  ou  partieiiement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  un«)  pelure, 
etc..  ont  M  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


sy 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  eopy  filmed  h«r«  hat  bMn  7«produo«d  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroa'ty  of: 


L'axamplaira  fllmi  fut  raproduit  grAca  i  la 
SAnArositA  c%: 


MorisMt  Library 
Unlvartity  of  Ottawa 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
pottibia  contldaring  tha  condition  and  lagibillty 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  •pacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  fllmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriate.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustratad  impres- 
sion, and  anding  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


BibliottiAqua  Morimt 
UnivtrtitA  d'Ottawa 

Lea  images  suiventes  ont  4t4  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  ie  condition  et 
de  la  nattet*  de  i'exempiaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmage. 

Les  sxempiaires  originaux  dont  ia  couverture  en 
par!er  est  imprimie  sont  fiimAs  en  commenpant 
par  ie  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  ia 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  ia  second 
plat,  salon  te  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exempiaires 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  r,ommen9ant  par  ia 
premiire  page  qui  comporte  une  empri/inte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
ia  darnlAre  paga  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  ia 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  ie 
CBs:  Ie  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  ie 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


IVIaps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tabisaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  clichA.  ii  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  i'angie  supArieur  gauche,  de  gai  che  A  droite. 
et  de  heut  en  bas.  en  prenant  ie  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaire.  Las  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

12  3 

4  5  6 


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CHAM  PL  A  INS     E  X  P  K  I)  I  T  I  ()  N    ()  I     1615 


KI'.IM.Y   TO    UK.   SHEA   AND   (iKNKKAI,   lIAKK 

The  fust  mimhor  ol  this  maj^a/int'  (Jan.,  1X77)  contains  an  article  on 
the  Expedition  of  Chainplain  ajijainst  the  (/nonchi^as,  in  1615.  It  was 
founded  on  a  coninmnication  read  before  the  New  York  Historical 
Society  in  March,  1X49,  in  which  I  had  discussed  the  evidences  which 
exist  as  to  the  route  of  thf;  expedition,  and  the  site  of  the  Irocpiois  fort 
which  it  besieged.  My  position  havinjj;  beei>  (juestioned  by  seveial 
eminent  historians,  who  chiiined  a  more  western  h)cation  for  the  fort, 
the  main  object  of  my  hist  article  was  to  fortify  my  former  conclusions. 
In  it  I  endeavored  to  trace  Champlain's  route  across  Lake  Ontario  to  its 
south  shore,  and  from  thence  to  his  objective  point.  While  my  location 
of  the  fort  in  the  Onondaga,  rather  than  the  Seneca  Country,  has  gen- 
erally been  approved,  some  difference  of  opinion  is  enterttiined  as  to  its 
exact  site,  as  well  as  to  the  precise  route  by  which  it  was  reached. 

General  James  S.  Clark,  ol  Auburn,  in  a  paper  read  before  the 
Buffalo  and  New  York  Historical  wSocieties,  and  Georges  Geddes,  Esc;., 
of  CamilluL ,  in  an  article  in  the  last  Sej)tember  number  of  this  magazine, 
vol.  1.,  p.  521,  while  thev  agree  that  the  site  was  in  the  Onondaga 
Country,  dissent  from  my  views  in  other  particulars.  Dr.  John  Gilmary 
Shea,  in  a  recent  article  in  the  i'enn  Historical  Magazine,  vol.  II.,  p.  103, 
coincides  in  the  n)ain  with  General  Clark.  I  am  glad  that  a  writer  of 
Dr.  Shea's  ability  has  taken  the  held.  I  have  read  his  paper  atten- 
tively, and  fail  to  see  that  it  has  disproved  any  of  my  main  positions. 

It  may  be  pro[)er  to  state  that  General  Clark's  address,  thus  reviewed 
and  endorsed  by  Dr.  Shea,  has  never  been  published.  It  was  delivered 
before  the  alcove  societies  during  my  absence  in  Europe.  Since  my 
return,  1  have  endeavored,  without  success,  to  obtain  a  copy.  I  can 
only  judge  of  its  contents  from  the  references  in  Dr.  Shea's  review. 
That  the  General  is  accurately  quoted  therein,  may  be  inferred  from  his 
having  reproduced  the  article,  with  verbal  corrections,  in  an  Auburn 
journal. 

In  a  published  address,  delivered  last  September  before  the  Pioneers' 
Association  at  Syracuse,  General  Clark  stated  the  conclusions  to  which 
his  investigations  had  led  him,  but  gave  no  facts  or  arguments  to  sup- 
port them.     In  doing  so,  he  used  the  following  emphatic  language; 


« iiAMi'i.Ais's  r.Mi.DmoN  ()i   ir)i5 


)  < 


"  I  (la  ill)  csiirtially  to  mule  i  stand  tin*  rciurd  ol  ( 'liaiii|ilain  l>v  tnllowinj^ 
his  iiai  iati\  r  ,1  ri>iili)n  it  hdriidiu,  and  aiirjilinii;  liis  I'stiniatt  >  d  ili^tanci-s, 
his  map  and  illnstrati<<ns.  I  stand  on  no  urn  c*i  tain  ^;round.  t  nndi  island 
this  qmst ion  tlioroii^ldy.  I  know  that  I  am  tii;ht.  i  desire  no  mismi> 
derstandinL!^  on  this  (|uestioii.  I  lake  the  atiirmative  and  throw  down 
the  f^aimtlet  to  all  comers  ;  and  il  any  choose  to  cuter  the  list,  I  have 
the  most  iinlxuinded  confidence  that  it  will  not  be  me  that  will  he  borne 
from  the  lield  discomliled.  I  identify  the  site  as  certainly  as  any 
j^jenlliinan  presinl  can  identily  his  wife  at  the  breaklasf  table  after  ten 
years  of  married  life,"  etc.,  etc. 

It  is  to  be  rej^retted  that  Cleneial  Clark  has  not  accompanied  his  ciial- 
!enj;;e.  so  forcibly  stated,  with  llu*  proofs  and  reasons  on  which  he  relies. 
The  pnblic  conid  then  judj^e  whether  such  historians  as  O'C'alla^dian, 
I'aikman,  nroadhead,  Laverdiere  and  his  neighbor  (ieddes  are,  as  he 
asserts,  niislakt'ii  in  their  conclnsions.  Is  is  (piiti-  e\  ident  that  Cleneral 
Clark  is  an  enthusiast  in  his  Study  of  Aborii^inal  llistoi\.  A  ceitain 
amount  of  zeal  may  be  desirable  in  the  invest iij^ation  of  such  subjects, 
but  conscientious  convictions,  howeser  decidedly  entertained,  are  not 
always  in  harniony  with  just  cf)nchisions.  It  is  only  by  patient  and 
candid  in\ csti^^atioii,  b\-  lompariuLj,  wti^hin^  and  siftiiifjf  the  eviilence, 
that  historical  truth  can  be  elicited. 

I  will  consider  in  their  order:  Jurst.  The  authenticitv  and  accuracy 
of  the  map.  Scioiiif.  The  staitinij^  iK)int  of  the  Expedition  on  Lake 
(Ontario.  Third.  The  route  across  the  Lake.  J'ourt/i.  The  landini;  on 
the  south  shore.  I'ijth.  The  march  on  the  beach.  Sixth,  The  inland 
route  to  the  Fort.     Scunth.     The  location  of  the  I'ort. 

Till-;  AL'iiiLNTicirv  AND  ACCUKACV  OK  TiiK  MAP.— Ill  order  to  ac- 
count for  the  many  manifest  disciepancies  between  Chamj)lain's  text  of 
1619  and  the  map  annexed  to  the  edition  of  i^>3-',  I  su<;i;esled  that  the 
map  and  the  latter  edition  were  not  the  work  of  Champlain  and  never 
passed  under  his  personal  supervision.  1  ^ave  my  reasons  for  this 
opinion  on  paj^es  5  antl  6,  vol.  I,  of  this  magazine. 

Dr.  Shea  replies  to  this,  that  "  the  map  is  evidently  Champlain's,  and 
he  was  too  j^ood  a  hydro<;rapher  for  us  to  reject  his  map  as  a  jj^uidc  for 
parts  he  actually  visited."  This,  however,  is  assuming  the  authenticity 
of  the  map,  the  very  point  in  issue,  witlujut  noticing  the  objections  I 
advanced.  If  the  map  were  actually  constructed  by  Champlain,  it  is  of 
course  competent  evidence,  without  however  being  conclusive  where  it 
differs  from  the  text.  It  is  not  possible,  however,  to  reconcile  the  two. 
Where  they  disagree,  one  or  the  other  must  yield,  and  in  accordance 
with  well  settled  rules  of  evidence,  the  text  must  govern. 


-M! 


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ciiami'Lain's  Kxi'i.iiirioN  or  1615  3 

Tlu*  mrist  competent  critics  who  have  c\:»miur(|  the  tvlitlf)!!  of  i<)33, 
fit  svhii  \\  iilonc  llic  map  is  annexed,  iiu  linlinj^  Lavcrdii'ic,  Mar>;rv  and 
llarrissf,  a^^rci'  that  if  bears  iiiteiiial  evidemtr  of  lia\iiij^  lieen  compiled, 
by  a  l'Uei;;n  hand,  tiuiii  ibi*  various  e(bti<nis  previously  piibbshed.  No 
map  aceompanicd  tliu  original  narrative  ot  the  expedition,  published 
in  1619. 
4  I  ctaitn  (hat  by  iuHpection  and  comparison  witli  reliabh' topographical 

majis  ol  the  country  traversed  by  Cliampiain,  no  in;^enuity  can  torture 
the  dotted  line  on  the  chart  into  an  aecuiate  representation  ol  the  route 
hi'  [)ursued,  as  described  in  his  text.  The  discrepancies  will  be  indicated, 
as  the  N.irious  points  on  the  loute  are  passed  in  revii-\v. 

I  trust  my  readers  will  lollow  my  arj^ument  with  theChamplam  /ik- 
siiniic,  which  is  annexed  to  my  article  in  \'ol.  I  of  this  ma;^a/ine,  and  a 
reliable  chart  ol  the  easterly  end  of  Lake  Ontario.  All  my  measure- 
ments are  taken  from  tin-  Lake  Survey  C^harts,  recently  published  by  the 
Tnited  States  (iovernment,  and  the  most  reliable  maps  attainable  ol 
Jeffers(»n,  Oswejjo,  Onondaj^a  and  Madison  counties. 

TlIK  siAUTJ\(i  I'DIN  r.  — The  narrative  states  that  the  expedition 
descended  what  is  now  known  as  Trent  River,  which  empties  into  Lake 
Ontario,  and  after  short  days'  journeys,  reached  the  border  of  Lake 
Ontario.  It  then  proceeds.  I  j;ive  the  ori<^inal  French,  as  Champlain's 
works  are  ([uite  rare,  and  copy  from  the  edition  of  1619,  modernizinj,^  the 
old  French  ortho^^raphy  :  "  ou  ctans,  nous  times  la  traverse  en  I'un  dcs 
bouts,  tirant  a  I'oiient,  (jui  est  rentrd'c  dc  la  jj^randc  riviere  St.  Laurens, 
par  la  hauteur  ile  (piaraute-trois  dej^res  de  latitude,  ou  il  y  a  de  belles 
iles  fort  ;;randes  en  ce  passa,L:fe." 

Where  then  was  the  starting;  point  of  the  expcditio!i?  Gen.  Clark 
says  *'  Kin<;ston."  Dr.  Shea  says,  "  from  a  peninsula  beyond  (east  of?) 
Ouinte  Hay,  on  the  north  shore,"  ajj^reeiu^  with  Gen.  Clark  that  it  must 
have  been  at  Kinijfston.  There  is  some  confusion  amon^j  geofj^raphcrs  as 
to  the  extent  of  Ouinte  Bay.    Some  represent  it  as  reachinj;  to  Kini^ston. 

Quintc'  Bay  proper,  accordinj^  to  the  best  authorities,  extends  no 
farther  eastward  than  the  eastern  extremity  of  Prince  Edward  Peninsula, 
called  Point  Pleasant.  It  is  often  called  the  River  Trent,  beinj;  as  it 
were  an  extension  of  that  stream. 

Champlain  evidently  considered,  and  correctly  so,  that  when  he  had 
passed  Point  Pleasant,  he  had  arrived  at  the  Lake.  He  says  that  the 
river  he  descended  "  forms  the  passage  into  the  lake,"  and  a  little  farther 
on,  "  we  traveled  by  short  days'  journeys  as  far  as  the  border  of  Lake 
Ontario,  where  having  arrived,  we  crossed,"  &c. 


I 


champlain's  expedition  of  1615 


1 


Ilavini;  rtxccl  the  startin<:f  point  at  Kinj^^ston,  Gen.  Clark  claims  that 
from  thciicc  he  "  ran  east  a  distance  not  given,  thence  southerly  to  a 
point  fourteen  leajijues  (35  miles)  from  the  commencement  of  the  River 
St.  Lawrence."  Champlain  says,  the  r;wj:///,'' embraced  fourteen  leaj^ues. 
How  the  startinj^  point  at  Kinjj^ston,  much  less  the  extension  of  the  route 
eastward  from  Kinj;,'ston,  is  "  reconcileil  with  the  map,"  does  nt)t  appear. 

1  claimed  the  startinj^  poi  it  to  have  been  opposite  the  eastern  end  of 
Point  Pleasant,  and  in  this  1  am  sustained  by  both  map  and  text. 

According  to  the  text,  the  crossing  began  as  soon  as  the}'  reached 
the  lake,  anfl  Ihat  occurred  when  they  passed  out  of  the  river  (or  bay) 
at  Point  Pleasant.  Champlain  does  not  say  that  they  went  an  inch  east 
of  that  Point.  1  quiLe  agree  with  Dr.  Shea's  translation  of  the  words 
•'  tiranta  I'cirient,"  and  of  the  i)assage  in  which  it  occurs.  Those  words 
have  no  reference  to  the  direction  pursued  by  Champlain,  but  to  the  end 
of  the  lake  wiiich  he  crossed. 

"  I  laving  arrived  at  the  borders  of  the  lake,  we  crossed,"  he  says,  "one 
of  its  extremities  which,  extending  eastward,  forms  the  entrance  of  the 
great  River  St.  Lawrence,  in  43  degrees  of  latitude,  where  there  are 
very  large  beautiful  islands  on  the  passage."  I  suggested  this  inter- 
pretation some  months  ago  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  translation  of 
Char  iplaiii's  Voyages  of  1603,  1613  and  1619,  now  being  made  for  the 
Prir.ce  Society.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  General  Clark's  extension 
of  chc  route  eastward  to  Kingston,  originated  in  a  mistranslation  of  those 
V'>rd.s.  His  construction  of  the  route  certainly  requires  "  tirant  a  I'oricnt " 
to  refer  to  the  direction  pursued  by  Champlain,  which  is  in  conflict  with 
Dr.  Shea's  translation,  while  the  route  1  propose  is  in  entire  harmony 
with  it. 

Dr.  Shea  further  says,  "  That  Champlain  was  actually  at  the  head  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  of  which  he  gives  the  latitude,  seems  almost  certain. 
For  one  who  had  loundcd  a  trading  settlement  on  the  lower  river,  the 
examination  and  exact  locating  of  the  head  of  the  river,  when  he  was  so 
near  it,  seem  im])eratively  demanded." 

It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  Champlain  was  on  a  war 
expedition,  aided  by  only  a  few  of  his  own  countrymen,  with  sev- 
eral hundred  Huron  and  Algonkin  warriors,  approaching  a  hostile 
country.  Under  such  circumstances  he  would  hardly  have  gone  so  far 
east,  and  so  much  out  of  his  way,  to  make  geographical  or  hydrograph- 
ical  observations,  either  during  a  cautious  approach  or  a  hurried  retreat. 

Although  Champlain  gives  the  latitude  of  the  entrance  of  the  river, 
instead  of  that  furnishing  an  argument  in  favor  of  his  having  been  there. 


CHANirLAIN'S   KXrFDITION   OF    1615 


5 


laims  that 
iciiy  to  a 
the  River 
n  lea^aics. 

the  route 
Jt  appear. 

rn  end  of 

a. 

y  reached 
r  (or  bay) 
inch  east 
he  words 
)se  words 
to  the  end 

ays,  "one 
ice  of  the 
there  are 
his  inter- 
shition  of 
le  for  the 
extension 
ii  of  those 
r  orient'' 
flict  with 
harmony 

e  head  ot 
t  certain, 
iver,  the 
le  was  so 

n  a  war 
vith  sev- 
i  hostile 
ne  so  far 
rograph- 
l  retreat, 
he  river, 
2n  there, 


I 


t 


its  effect  is  directly  the  reverse,  for  the  latitude  which  he  records  at 
forty-throe  d(\u;'rees  is  quite  eironeous,  and  would  place  the  entrance  as 
far  South  as  Syracuse.  The  true  latitude  is  44'''  6',  a  difference  01  over 
a  degree.  A  gross  error  for  a  Captain  in  the  I-'rench  marine  to  make 
from  actviai  observation. 

Ti:e  ROi'Ti-;  ACROSS  Till'!  i.AKi:. —  If  1  am  right  in  fixing  the  starting 
point  opposite  I'oint  Pleasant,  it  would  follow,  both  from  the  text  and  the 
map,  that  the  route  extended  southerly,  between  that  point  and  Amherst 
Island,  to  the  False  Ducks,  and  along  the  Main  Duck,  Crallo,  and  Stony 
Islands,  which  stretch  across  the  lake  in  the  direction  of  Stony  I'oint. 
That  this  was  the  course  pursued  may  be  inferred  from  the  following 
considerations : 

First.  On  examining  the  Champlain  maj),  the  line  indicating  the 
route  starts  from  the  northern  shore  of  the  lake,  and  passes  directly 
south  between  I'oint  Pleasant  and  the  first  island  easterly  therefrom, 
which  would  corresi)ond  with  Amherst  Island.  The  next  island  on  the 
map  east  of  Amherst  Island  wcndd  correspond  with  Simcoe  Island,  and 
the  next,  lying  in  the  entrance  of  the  river,  would  correspond  with 
Wolf  or  Long  Isl.ind.  These  three  islands  constitute  all  that  aie  repre- 
sented on  the  map  as  lying  in  the  east  end  of  the  lake,  except  those 
along  which  I  claim  that  the  ex[)edition  crossed. 

Now  if,  as  claimed  by  General  Clark,  the  crossing  was  along  Simcoe, 
Wolf  and  Grenadier  Islands,  which  closely  hug  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
lake,  then  those  islands  would  have  been  so  represented  on  the  map. 
Thj  chain  of  islands  along  which  they  did  pass,  as  shown  by  the  dotted 
line,  are  laid  down  at  some  distance  from  the  eastern  shore.  If  it  be  claimed 
that  the  map  refers  to  the  inner  ones  lying  close  to  the  eastern  shore,  then 
the  outer  chain,  equally  conspicuous  and  in  plain  sight  of  the  others,  are 
not  represented  at  all.  To  a  party  crossing  the  outer  or  western  chain, 
the  islands  lying  in-shore  would  scarcely  be  distinguishable  from  the 
adjacent  land,  while  the  outer  chain,  with  nothing  behind  them  but  the 
open  lake,  could  easily  be  seen  from  the  inner  islands.  I  am  aware  that 
the  dotted  line  on  the  map  exhibits  a  general  southerly  course,  but  the 
expedition,  folhjwing  the  islands  indicated  by  me,  fulldls  the  conditions 
of  the  text,  by  crossing  from  the  north  to  the  south  side  of  the  lake, 
and  for  nearly  a  third  of  the  way  on  a  due  south  course.  The  map  is 
on  an  exceedingl}'  small  s':'ale,  rudely  drawn  and  nowhere  preserves  with 
any  accuracy  the  points  of  compass  in  representing  either  the  crossing 
of  the  lake,  or  the  inland  route  as  claimed  by  General  Clark.  Where 
the  map  and  text  are  irreconcilable,  the  former  must  be  rejected.     It 


r"- 


\ 


6  ciiami'Lain's  exfedition  of  1615 

could  not  be  expected  that  a  chart,  33  inches  lonjj^  by  20  inciics  wide, 
embracing  a  territory  extending  from  Newfoundhind  to  Lake  vSuperior, 
and  from  tiie  frozen  ocean  to  the  Carolinas,  could  exhibit  a  route  like 
that  traveled  by  Champlain,  on  a  scale  of  sixty  miles  to  the  inch,  with- 
out presenting  numerous  discrepancies.  They  are  so  gross,  even  in  those 
places  actually  visited  by  Champlain,  that  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  he 
could  pcjssioly  have  been  its  author.  It  was  not  drawn  in  reference  to  this 
si)ecial  expedition  of  1615,  but  to  illustrate  all  his  vo)ages  in  y'Vmerica. 
S('coii(i.  Chami)lain  says,  on  arriving  at  the  nortliern  bank  of  the  lake. 
"Nous  fnnes  la  traverse" — "we  crossed  it."  lie  iKk-s  not  intimate 
that  he  coasted  along  its  northern  border  for  22  miles,  and  then  again 
around  its  eastern  shore.  Effect  must  be  given  to  the  expression, 
"  We  crossed  it."  Third.  Champlain  gives  the  distance  he  consumed  in 
crossing  as  fourteen  leagues,  or  thirty-live  miles.  "  Nous  fimes  environ 
quatorze  lieues  pour  i)asser  juscpies  a  I'autre  cote  du  lac,  tirant  au  sud, 
vers  Ics  tcrres  des  cnnemis."  The  actual  distance  by  the  way  of  the 
Ducks,  Galloo,  Calf  and  Stony  Islands  to  Stony  Fcjint,  where  they 
would  first  reach  land,  is  385  miles.  To  Henderson  Bay  it  is  44  miles; 
to  Stony  Creek  Cove,  42  miles;  to  Little  Sandy  Lake,  53I  miles.  The 
actual  distance  from  the  same  starting  i)oint,  via  Kingston  and  Simcoe, 
Wolf,  Grenadier  and  Ston)-  Islands,  to  Little  Sandy  Lake,  is  70  miles, 
and  from  Kingston,  48 J,  miles. 

From  this  it  aj)pcars  that  the  actual  distances  on  all  the  supposed 
routes  exceed  in  each  instance  Champlain's  estimate.  It  will  be  noticed, 
howevcM",  that  the  excess  is  the  greatest  on  the  route  claimed  by  Gen- 
eral Clark.  The  j)robabilities,  therefore,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  length 
of  the  crossing,  as  given  by  Cliamplain,  are  in  favor  of  the  route  I  have 
suggested.  FouriJi.  Tlic  expedition,  coming  from  the  loest,  would  nat- 
urally use  the  shortest  route  to  reach  its  destination.  That  parties 
were  accustomed  to  cross  by  the  chain  of  Diit:ks,  (lalloo,  Calf  and 
Stony  Islands,  is  substantiated  by  the  traditions  of  the  Canada  Indians. 
Hence,  the  j)()int  on  tin'  peninsula  fi'om  which  they  embarked,  was 
named  by  the  Frencli  voyageurs,  Point  Traverse,  and  is  so  called  to  this 
day.  The  islands  lying  along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake  were  used 
by  Indian    and  voyageurs  ascending  or  descending  the  St.  Lawrence. 

The  I  \XDL\G. — I  suggested  in  my  article  that  the  expedition  proba- 
bly landed  in  the  secluded  cove  now  known  as  Henderson  Bay,  shel- 
tered by  Stony  Foiiit.  Not  that  the  text  or  map  of  Champlain 
indicates  that,  or  any  other  particular  place  with  any  certainty,  but 

First.     Because  it  appeared  a  convenient  and  ai)propriate  locality. 


'^■ 


V  '... 


.   .    ft_^.Ci^.Jli^A 


champlain's  expedition  ok  161:; 


7    •* 


20  inciics  wide, 

>  Lake  wSupcrior, 

ibit  a  route  like 

)  the  inch,  with- 

ss,  even  in  those 

t    to  see  how  he 

reference  to  this 

j:es  in  America. 

ank  of  the  lake. 

L's    not    intimate 

,  and  then  a^^-ain 

the   expression, 

he  consumed  in 

IS  limes  environ 

c.  tirant  au  sud, 

the  way  of  the 

int,   where   they 

\y  it  is  44  miles; 

53 i  miles.     The 

ton  and  Simcoe, 

.ake,  is  70  miles, 

rdl  the  supposed 
t  will  be  noticed, 
:laimed  by  Gen- 
;s  to  the  length 
the  route  1  have 
rivjr/,  would  nat- 
That  ])arties 
alloo,  Calf  and 
Canada  Indians, 
embarked,  was 
so  called  to  this 
lake  were  used 
5t.  Lawrence, 
pedition  proba- 
:rson  Bay,  shel- 
of  Champlain 
rtainty,  but 
:)priate  locality. 


I 


It  did  not  seem  probable  that  Champlain,  accompanied  by  so  large  an 
armv,  would  boldly  land  on  an  enemy's  shore,  exposed  to  observation 
for  twenty  miles  in  two  directions,  with  scarcely  a  hope  of  successfully 
C(  ncealing  the  canoes  wiiich  were  so  essential  for  his  retuin  voyage. 
Strond.  iiecause  Henderson  Bay,  long  previous  to  the  setth^ment  of 
the  country,  had  been  a  favorite  landing  place  for  the  Indians  passing 
to  and  fiom  Canada,  as  is  well  attested  by  tradition.  Tlie  name  of 
"Indian  W'haif"  still  bears  witness  to  the  fact.  A  portage  road  lecf 
from  the  landing  to  Stony  Creek,  called  by  the  French  the  "  riviere  a 
Monsieur  le  Comt(,>."  That  the  expedition  landed  there,  was  a  mere 
suggestion  derixed  ii'oin  the  ])robabilities  of  the  case.  I  do  not  insist 
upon  it.  In  good  weather  an  ecpially  favoral)le  landing  could  have 
been  made  in  the  small  eo\e  at  the  mouth  of  Stony  Creek,  though  not  so 
secluded  irom  (observation.  It  is  not  possible,  from  the  meagre  details 
of  the  narrative,  to  state  with  any  certainty,  n)iich  less  to  prove  the 
exact  j)oint  ol  laufling.  That  it  took  place  at  Little  Sandy  Lake, 
selected  bv  General  Clark,  is  not  probable,  and  for  the  following  reasons: 

Assuming  loi'  the  present  what  I  expect  to  prove  in  the  se([iicl — that 
the  expedition  followed  the  sandv  beach  of  the  lake  no  farther  south, 
than  Salmon  l-iiver,  where  it  le^t  for  the  interior — we  must  look,  acccjrd- 
ing  to  the  text  of  Champlain,  for  the  following  conditions  between  the 
places  whei'e  he  landed  and  where  he  lelt  h)r  the  interior. 

TiiH  MAKCir  ox  TliK  liEACli.  —  Cham|)lain  savs  :  "  Les  sauvages 
cacherent  tons  leurs  canaux  dans  les  bt)is,  ])roche  du  rivage.  Nous  limes 
par  terre  (luclqucs  quatre  lieuiis  sur  une  i)lage  de  sable,  on  je  remarcjuai 
un  pavs  lort  agrcable  et  l)eau,  traverse  de  plusieurs  ])etits  I'uisseaux,  et 
deux  petites  rivieres,  (pii  se  dechargent  au  susdit  lac,  et  force  etangs  et 
prairies."  "The  Indians  concealed  all  their  canoes  m  the  woods  near 
the  shore.  We  proceeded  by  land  about  four  leagues  over  a  sandy  beach, 
where  I  observed  a  very  agreeable  and  beautiful  country,  intersected  by 
many  small  brooks  and  two  small  rivers  which  empty  into  the  said  lake, 
and  manv  lakelets  and  meadows." 

On  relerring  to  the  maj),  we  find  it  furnishes  nothing  in  addition 
to  the  above,  except  it  represents  three  small  bodies  of  water  as  lying 
along  the  route  parallel  with  the  shore,  which  are  undoubtedly  those  re- 
ferred to  bv  Champlain  under  the  name  of  "  Etangs."  There  are  still  exist- 
ing three  such  collections  of  water  between  vStony  Point  and  Salmon 
River,  two  of  which  are  known  by  the  name  of  North  and  wSouth  ponds, 
and  the  largest  by  the  name  of  Little  Sandy  Lake.  The  latter  is  about 
3,000  acres  in  extent.      Dr.  Shea  says :    "  General  Clark  identifies  the 


If 


8 


CHAM  plain's  KxiM:niTroN  OK  1615 


I 


three  small  lakes  noted  on  the  map,  as  North  and  South  Ponds,  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  and  Little  Sanrly  Lal<e."  IJut  if  Cliamplain  landed  at 
Little  Sandv  Lake  as  claimed  by  General  Clark,  he  wouhl  not  have 
I)assed  bv  North  and  South  Ponds,  as  they  lie  north  of  that  landin}^. 
The  jirobabilities  exist,  therefore,  that  the  landinjif  took  plaee  farther 
north,  and  either  in  Henderson  liay,  or  at  the  mouth  of  Stony  Creek,  as 
before  stated. 

Dr.  Shea  says:  "Mr.  Marshall  holds  that  the  expedition  passed 
Salmon  River.  The  next  stream  is  vSalmon  Creek,  which  Mr. 
Marshall  holds  is  the  Oswej^o."  Dr  Shea  has  entirely  misunderstood 
me  in  this  particular.  I  claimed  that  the  expedition  left  the  lake  at 
Salmon  Rii'iv.  I  did  not  even  name  Salmon  Creek,  nor  did  I  state  that 
the  expedition  ascended  or  even  saw  the  Oswejj^o  River.  I  said  that  it 
crossed  from  the  mouth  of  Salmon  River  to  the  outlet  of  Oneida  Lake, 
and  from  thence  passed  to  the  fort,  distant  four  leai^ues  from  the  hshery. 

One  reason  I  ii^ave  for  discreditin<i^  the  map  was  that  the  dotted  line 
seemed  to  enter  the  "  Oswei^o  River,"  that  beinji^  the  only  stream  having 
numerous  lakes  at  its  sources;  but  I  distinctly  averred  that  such  a  route 
was  "highly  improbable,  imnecessarily  circuitous,  and  could  not  pos- 
sibly be  reconciled  with  the  text  of  Champlain."  V^ol.  I,  p.  6  of  this 
mac^azine. 

The  iXLAXi)  routk. — My  reasons  in  favor  of  the  mouth  of  the 
.Salmon  River  as  the  point  of  departure  for  the  interior  are  as  follows: 

Firs/.  It  is  the  southernmost  and  last  point  on  the  lake  in  the  direct  line 
of  travel  between  Stony  Point  and  the  foot  of  Oneida  Lake.  The  mouth 
of  Salmon  Creek  lies  west  of  that  line,  requiring  a  detour  that  would  in- 
crease the  travel  without  affording  any  corresponding  advantage.  Seeond. 
The  mouth  ol  Salmon  River — the  0/i/iativigiu'  oi  the  early  French  maps 
— has  always  been  a  noted  i)lace  in  Indian  history.  It  is  mentioned  on 
the  oldest  Ms.  maps  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  found  in  the  French 
Archives  at  Paris.  A  trail  is  laid  down  on  several  of  said  maps,  running 
direct  from  that  point  to  the  great  fishery,  called  "  Techiroguen." 
Franquelin,  the  celebrated  geographer  to  Louis  XIV,,  in  his  "  Carte  du 
pays  des  Iroquois''  of  1679,  calls  the  trail  '^  Chemin  de  Techiroguen  h  la 
Famine''  La  Famine  was  a  name  applied  by  the  Jesuits  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Salmon  River,  in  allusion  to  the  sufferings  experienced  there  by 
Monsieur  Du  Pi.ys  and  his  companions,  in  July,  1656,  from  want  of 
provisions.  It  has  generally  been  called  by  later  writers,  ''CaJiiJionoiiagJu'" 
which  may  be  a  dialectical  variai.ion  from  Otihatangm'.  A  Ms.  map  of 
1679,  says:  "it  is  the  place  where  the  most  of  the  Iroquois  and  Loups 


\. 


....  \  \  .*       t-.'J(4?eS 


■li*- ■:  \.  ^ 


^^. 


'iith  Ponds,  in  Jcf- 
implain  landed  at 
■  wonlfl  not  have 
1  of  that  landin^r. 
)ol<  place  farther 
)f  Stony  Creek,  as 

xpt'dition   passed 
t'ck-.    which     Mr. 
\y  niisiinderstood 
1  left  the  h'lke  at 
did   I  state  that 
'■•     I  said  that  it 
of  Oneida  Lake, 
!  from  the  fishery, 
t  the  dotted  line 
ily  stream  having 
that  such  a  route 
d  could  not  pos- 
)1.  T,  p.  6  of  this 

e   mouth   of  the 
nre  as  follows: 
in  the  direct  line 
ike.     The  mouth 
ir  that  would  in- 
vantagc.  Strom/. 
ly  French  maps 
s  mentioned  on 
I  in  the  French 
:1  maps,  running 
"  Tcchiroguen." 
1  his  "  CarU  du 
TecJiircgucn  h  la 
'■>  to  the  mouth 
:nced  there  by 
,  from  want  of 
Cahihonoiiaghd, ' ' 
A  Ms.  map  of 
ois  and  Loups 


CIIAMPI.AIN'S   EXPEDlTKtN   OF    1615  9 

land  to  go  on  the  Beaver  trade  at  New  York."  It  is  is  evidently  an 
Onondaga  word,  and  is  given  by  Morgan  as  '*(i(i-/u'n-7vd'-ga."  It  bears  a 
strong  resemblance  to  the  name  applied  to  the  place  by  Pouchot  and 
other  writers.  There  is,  therefore,  little  doubt  but  what  the  expedition 
left  the  lake  for  the  interior  from  this  well  known  point  of  debarkation. 
Tliirti.  Champlain  says :  "  Tons  les  canaux  etans  ainsi  cachez,  nous 
laissames  Ic  rivage  du  lac,"  etc.  "All  the  canoes  being  thus  concealed 
we  left  the  border  of  the  lake,"  etc.  Dr.  Shea  thinks  that  the  text 
implies  that;  the  canoes  were  twice  concealed.  \  do  not  so  imderstand 
it.  If  all  were  concealed  on  landing,  there  would  be  none  left  to  con- 
ceal at  the  end  of  the  march  on  the  beach.  The  second  statement,  "  All 
our  canoes  being  thus  concealed,"  is,  therefore,  but  a  repetition  of  the  first 
expresssion,  '*  T':e  Indians  concealed  all  their  canoes  in  the  woods  near  the 
shore."  Iu)urtli.  Champlain's  description  of  his  route  after  leaving  the 
lake,  is  quite  brief  and  unsatislactory.  "  Nous  continuames  notre  chemin 
par  terre.  environ  25  ou  30  lieues:  Durant  quatre  journees  nous  traver- 
sames  quantite  de  ruisseaux.  et  une  riviere,  procedante  d'un  lac  qui  se 
decharge  dans  celui  des  Entouhonorons.  Ce  lac  est  de  I'etendue  de  25 
ou  30  lieues  de  circuit,  v>\x  il  y  a  de  belles  iles,  et  est  le  lieu  0(1  les  Iroquois 
ennemis  lont  leur  pechc  de  poisson,  qui  est  en  abondance." 

"  We  continued  our  way  by  land  about  25  or  30  leagues.  During 
four  clays  we  crossed  numerous  brooks  and  a  river  Hi)wing  from  a  lake 
which  empties  into  Lake  Ontario.  This  lake  is  25  or  30  leagues  in 
circumference,  contains  beautiful  islands,  and  is  the  place  where  the 
hostile  Iroquois  catch  their  fish,  which  are  in  abundance."  It  will  be 
noticed  that  no  mention  is  made  of  any  of  the  lakes  which  are  so  con- 
spicuously laid  down  on  the  map,  contiguous  to  the  dotted  line,  except 
Oneida  Lake.  On  the  gtii  of  October,  tiie  Indians  met  and  captured 
eleven  of  the  enemy,  who  were  going  to  the  fishery,  distant  4  leagues 
from  the  enemy's  fort. 

The  expedition  reachcl  t'  c  fort  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
loth.  There  is  nothing  in  the  text  of  Champlain  to  indicate  the  site  of 
the  fort,  excei)t  its  situation  near  an  unfailing  body  of  water,  which  Cham- 
plain calls  "  ////  I'tiVig."  Dr.  Shea  translates  it  "  pond,"  that  being  its 
primitive  signification.  But  as  used  by  Champlain  and  other  French 
writers  of  the  17th  century,  it  has  a  more  enlarged  signification,  having 
reference,  in  numerous  instances,  to  a  small  lake.  Those  which  are 
laid  down  on  the  Cham})lain  maj)  opposite  the  route  along  the  sandy 
beach  above  referred  to,  are  called  '^ctaf/gs"  by  Champlain.  One  of 
them  is  admitted  by  General  Clark  to  be  "  Little  Sandy  Lake."     Bouil- 


i    i 


10 


chami'lain's  expedition  ok  1615 


let  says  in  \\'\s  DictioHairt-  dis  Sciences,  eic,  **  Iit(Uii(s  nd/urc/s"  arc  smal 
lakes  of  fresh  water,  produced  by  rains  or  springs."  Lake  I'oiilclii 
train,  near  New  Orleans,  40  miles  lonjjj  by  2\  broad,  is  called  "  ui/  cfnnx 
by  La  Salle  in  16S5. 

There  is  therefore  no  such  limitation  to  the  meaning;  of  the  wok 
ettrNi,'-,   as  to   render   it   inapplicable   to  a   lake  as  larjj^e  as  ()nondaj;;i. 
Champlain,  havitifj^  recently  passed  throuf^h  Lakes  Huron  and  Ontario 
would   very  naturally  apply  a  diminutive  term  to  so  small  a  body  o 
water. 

The  location  of  the  fort.— it  is  utterly  imi)ossible,  from  the 
Champlain  text  and  map,  aided  by  the  best  modern  charts,  and  an 
accurate  knowledjre  of  the  country,  to  establish,  with  any  certainty,  the 
exact  position  of  the  lro(|uois  fort.  The  location  which  I  su<;f^ested 
was  on  or  near  Onondaga  Lake,  4  leafj^ues  or  10  miles  from  the  fjreat 
Iroquois  fishery  at  the  foot  of  Oneida  Lake.  The  limits  of  this  article 
forbid  my  presenting;-  at  this  time  my  reasons  for  this  conclusion  ;  I  will 
therefore  contine  myself  to  an  examination  of  General  Clark's  position. 
He  locates  the  fort  on  Nichols  Fond,  in  the  north-east  corner 
of  the  town  of  Fenner,  in  Madison  County,  3  miles  east  of  the  villajj^e 
of  Penyville,  and  10  miles  by  an  air  line,  south  of  the  east  end  of 
Oneida  I^ake.  The  followini;"  are  s(Mne  of  the  reasons  sut^<(ested  by 
Champlain's  text  and  engraved  view,  ajj^ainst  this  proposed  location. 

F/rsL  Nichols  Pond  is  over  24  miles,  measured  on  a  direct  line,  from 
the  outlet  (jf  Oneida  L.»kc,  where  the  ex[)edition  crossed  that  stream. 
By  any  route  practicable  in  1615,  It  could  not  have  been  reached  by  less 
than  30  miles  travel,  owinj;-  to  the  intervenini:^  impassable  swamps. 
Champlain  stales  that  the  fort  was  4  lea^-ues  (10  miles)  from  the  "lishery," 
a  distance  more  likelv  to  be  ex"<^L(erated  than  understated.  Second.  The 
expedition  reached  the  fort  at  3  P.  M.  on  the  loth  of  October,  the  day 
after  they  had  met  and  captured  a  party  of  Iro(|uois,  who  were  on  their 
way  to  the  fishery.  Now  if  the  fishery  referred  to  was  on  Oneida  Lake, 
and  within  10  miles  of  Nichols  Pond,  it  must  have  been  directly  north 
of  the  latter.  How  then  could  Champlain  have  met  a  party  ^i^oing  north 
from  the  fort  to  the  lake,  when  his  course,  if  bound  for  Nichols  Pond, 
was  on  a  line  from  the  west  end  of  that  lake  in  a  direction  south  of 
east?  The  lines  of  travel  of  the  two  parties  could  not  luivc  intersected. 
Third.  Nichols  Pond  docs  not  correspond  in  important  particulars, 
with  Champlain's  engraved  view  of  the  site  of  the  fort.  I  do  not  attach 
much  importance  to  that  birds-e^^e  sketch,  evidently  fanciful  in  most 
respects,  but  as  General  Clark  and  Dr.  Shea  rely  on  its  correctness,  it  is 


I   ' 


..\\ 


ciiamplain's  EXPEurnoN  OF  1O15 


II 


natunls  "  are  small 
Lake   Pontclii- 
s  called  "  itn  etati^^" 

■rmiii^  of  the  word 
rj;e  as  Onondaga, 
iiron  and  Ontario, 

'"  sniall  a  body  of 

x'ssihie,  from   the 
rii  charts,  and  an 

any  certainty,  the 
vhich   I  .sii^^rested 
ilcs  from  the  j^nx'at 
nits  of  this  article 
conclusion  ;   I  will 
»l  Clark's  jjosition. 
north-cast    corner 
-■ast  of  the  villa^a. 
f   the   east  end  of 
ons  suo-^rcstcd  by 
)osccl  location, 
a  direct  line,  from 
'sscd  that  stream. 
:\\  reached  by  less 
passable  swamps, 
fom  the  "fishery," 
ted.    Second.    The 
t)ctober,  the  day 
•ho  were  on  their 
on  Oneida  Lake. 
;n  directly  north 
xirty  ,i;oing  north 
>r  Nichols   Pond, 
irection  south  of 
have  intersected, 
taut  particulars, 

I  do  not  attach 
fanciful  in  most 
correctness,  it  is 


lair  to  use  it  in  tcstinj;  the  soundness  of  their  positions.  Th  .•  )ri^inal  is 
a  well-e\ecutetl  copper  plate  line  enj^ravin^,  inserted  in  the  edition."'  of 
1619  and  1632.  The  copies  reproiluced  by  Laverdiere,  and  in  this 
Majj;a/ine  (vol.  1..  |).  561  1  are  wood  cuts,  and  do  not,  of  course,  do  justice 
to  the  original.  flic  latter  ic|iresents  the  lortilii'd  villaj^e  as  bounded 
on  two  sides  by  two  stieanis,  emptying  :'nto  the  lake  from  elevated 
j^jround  in  the  lear;  whereas  the  inlets  into  Nichols  Pond  are  on 
ojjposite  sides,  not  contiguous  to  each  other.  The  pond  iscjuite  insi^iii- 
licant,  scarcely  an  acre  in  extent,  nearly  surrounded  by  a  marsh  of 
perlia[)S  four  acres  more,  which  may,  in  wet  seasons,  have  formerly  been 
overllowed.  I'oiirtlt,  The  \  iew  represents  the  lake  as  much  broader  than 
the  palisaded  water  front  of  the  fort,  and  the  fortified  village  as  quite  exten- 
sive, much  larger  than  Nichols  i'oiid  could  ever  have  been.  The  latter 
therefore  fails  to  answer  the  conditions  reciuired  by  the  engraving. 
/'/////.  General  Clark  sa\s,  that  "the  lortii'ied  village  on  Nichols  Pond 
was  occupied  from  about  1600  to  1O30.'*  The  mean  between  the  two 
luii)pens  to  be  the  exact  yt:ar  of  Champlain's  invasion.  llow  has 
General  Clark  ascertained  those  dates?  llow  does  he  know  that  the 
village  had  not  ceased  to  exist  long  anterior  to  Champlain's  invasion  ?  In 
fixing  limits  to  the  periods  of  aboiiginal  occupancy,  it  would  be  more 
satisfactory  to  have  the  evidence  cited.  In  legard  to  this  village,  ii  one 
of  any  considerable  exlent  existed  on  Nichols  P(jnd,  all  we  can  certainly 
know  is,  that  it  belonged  to  the  Stone  Age.  Who  can  tell  when  its  fires 
were  lirst  kindled, — wiien,  or  lunv  tliev  were  finally  extinguishetl  ? 
HistoiN,  and  even  tradition  an-  silent.  Sixth,  (general  Clark  concedes 
that  the  expedition  was  directed  against,  and  besieged  a  lort  of  the 
On(jndagas.  Why  then  does  he  seek  to  locate  it  on  a  pond  in  the 
ancient  teiritory  of  the  Oneidas?  Seventh.  The  site  of  the  fort,  as 
claimed  by  General  Clark,  is  on  the  water-shed  between  the  s(jurces  of 
the  Sus(iuehanna  and  the  tributaries  of  Oneida  Lake,  an  elevation  of 
nearly  1,000  feet  above  the  latter.  To  reach  it  wcnild  have  involved  an 
ascent  so  ditiicult  and  toilsome  for  an  armv  like  Cham[)lain's,  that  he 
would  hardly  have  failed  to  notice  the  embarrassments  in  his  narra- 
tive. Eighth.  The  siege  lasted  six  days.  If  the  fort  had  been  on  the 
heights  of  Fenner,  a  beacon  light  in  its  neighborhood  could  have  Hashed 
a  summons  to  the  confederate  tribes,  and  brought  such  prompt  assistance 
that  the  besiegers  would  speedily  have  been  attacked  and  overwhelmed. 
Champlain  would  luuxUy  have  trusted  himself  s(j  long  in  a  hostile 
country,  and  so  far  from  his  landing.  Ninth.  Champlain  mentions  the 
islands  in  Oneida  Lake.     General  Clark  assumes  the  knowledge  of  their 


13 


CMAMI'I.AIN's   KXI'F.ltl  I  I"»N   or    1615 


h 


4* 


existence  could  only  have  been  derived  from  their  luivin^  been  seen  l)V 
Cli;nn|»I;iiii  Irom  the  hills  near  Nichols  |*<ind,  forj^ettini,^  they  are  oiil\l 
four  miles  distant,  and  in  plain  si^dit,  ol  the  place  where  he  crossed  tli<| 
Oneida  outlet.  Tcnf/t.  C'liainplaiii  sa\s  thcN-  raised  the  sei;;e  of  the  h>rt,l 
and  l)c;^MM  their  retreat  on  the  loth  ol  October,  and  reached  their  canoesl 
on  the  iSth,  a  man  h  (|uite  incredii)le,  if  fiom  so  distant  a  point  as  Nichols 
Pond,  encumbered  as  they  were  with  their  wounded,  and  impeded  by  a| 
drivinjj^  snow  storm  on  the  last  day. 

Ilavinjjf  discussed  the  location  of  the  Inrt,  aided  by  the  text  and 
engraved  view  of  Champlain,  let  us  now  see  what  assistance  can  be 
derived  from  llu-  ma]),  claimed  by  (.ieneral  Clark  and  Dr.  Shea  to  be 
so  accurate  and  authentic.  Whenever  the  text  and  map  ai,nee,  they 
nuisl  be  accepted  as  conclusive.  Where  thev  do  not,  and  particularly 
in  those  instances  where  the  nuij)  differs  Irom  well  authenticated  modern 
surveys,  I  prefer  to  reject  it,  whether  it  was  made  by  Chamj)lain  or  not. 

TIkic  it  does  not  aiji'ree  in  important  i)articulars,  either  with  the  text 
or  with  the  actual  topoijraphy  of  the  c(juntry,  is  clearly  evident,  as  I 
have  already  shown  and  will  now  endeavor  to  point  out  more  in  detail. 
The  mn|)  differs  f|-om  the  text,  First.  In  landinjj^  the  expedition  directly 
at  the  point  on  the  south  shoi'c  of  Lake  Ontario,  where  it  jjassed  into  the 
interior,  instead  of  tirst  carryiiif^  it  for  at  least  "four  leaj^ues  aloni;  the 
sandy  beach  of  the  lake."  as  clearly  represented  by  the  text.  Srcond. 
In  representing  Champlain  to  have  landed  at  a  stream—  claimed  by  Gene- 
ral Clark  to  be  Little  Salmon  Creek— and  to  have  passed  directly  iidand 
from  the  mouth  of  that  stream,  and  to  have  crossed  it  twice  before  reach- 
in^;^  the  fort.  Tliird.  In  representint;,  at  th<^  sources  of  that  creek  thus 
crossed,  three  lar;;e  and  two  small  lakes,  near  the  lari^cst  two  of  which 
the  expedition  i)assed.  If,  as  Cleneral  Claik  holds,  neither  of  those  lakes 
is  Oneida  Lake,  then  the  live  lakes  thus  delineated  on  the  maj)  are  not 
noticed  in  the  text  at  all.  Champlain  is  utterly  silent  in  reij^ard  to  them, 
and  rii^htfully  so,  for  in  point  of  fact  there  are  no  such  lakes  in  existence. 
They  will  be  souijht  for  in  vain  on  any  reliable  ma{)  of  the  country. 
Fourth.  The  map  differs  fioni  the  text  in  another  important  ])articular, 
that  is,  if  the  theory  arlvanced  by  General  Clark  and  Dr.  Shea  is  correct. 
The  route,  as  indicated  on  the  map,  after  windini:^  amons^  those  m)thical 
lakes,  and  leaving-  the  sources  of  the  Little  Salmon,  passes  directly  by  a 
southwesterly  course  to  the  Iroquois  fort.  This  fort  is  located,  by  the 
map,  on  the  easterly  curl  of  a  lake,  assumed  by  both  General  Clark  and 
Dr.  Shea  to  be  Oneida  Lake,  the  outlet  of  which  Hows  into  Lake 
Ontario.     If  it  is  not  Oneida  Lake,  then  that  lake  is  not  represented  on 


'^. 


■-<>' 


1 


A 


CIIAMIM.AIN'S   EXI'KDITION   OF    1615 


15 


IVJD^r  !,(.(.„    j;p^.„     |j^. 

''".tr  tlicv  .',r<'  only 
"  'c  he  crossfd  flic 
^I'lVcof  tlu;  lore, 
^"•li('(l  tlifirc.iiioos 
''  l'"''>'  Jis  Xicliols 
•"•'I  impt'dcd  l)v  a 

'»)■  fl'f  text  and 
•i^^sisfancf  can  bo 
"•I  '>!•.  Shea  to  be 
'•'iip  iik^rec,  they 
•  •"•'I   parlicidarlv 
t'lificatcd  rnodcr'n 
^  liamplain  oj-  uot. 
''<•'■  with   the  text 
«'"ly  evident,  as   I 
It  niore  in  detail. 
M't'dition  flirectly 
if  passed  into  the 
'•a^nies  alonj^-  the 
fit'   text.     Second. 
claimed  by  Gcnc- 
■cl  directly  inland 
'ice  before  reach- 
f  that  creek  thus 
i^t  two  of  which 
cr  of  those  lakes 
'ic  map  are  not 
I'Ci^ard  to  them, 
'/vi-  ///  existence. 
"'  the  country, 
tnnt  i)articular, 
'Shea  is  correct, 
those  mythical 
s  directly  by  a 
located,  hy  the 
-lal  Clark  and 
>ws  into  Lake 
•cpresented  on 


the  map  at  all,  unless  it  isone  of  the  live  imaj^inary  lakes  on  the  soutcis  of 
the  Littk-  Salmon,  which  is  disc  laimed  by  (ient  ral  Clark.  Ihit  the  loufe  o| 
the  e.vpcdition,  as  sliowii  by  the  map.  instead  of  erossinjjj  the  outli-l  of 
wli.it  he  claims  to  be  Oneida  Lake,  as  distinct  I  v  asserted  by  the  text,  does 
not  (Ljo  near  il.  I  )r.  Shea  says,  Cieneral  Clark  and  Mr.  Marshall  a^'ree 
that  Champiain  crossed  that  outlet.  I  certainly  do,  because  the  text 
asserts  it.  Hut  the  map  contradicts  it.  It  is  for  (ieneral  C'laik  to  recon- 
cile the  two.  IJolli  (ieneial  Clark  and  Dr.  Shea  repudiate  the  map 
when  they  say,  "  the  dotted  line  of  the  march  on  the  map,  to  coincide 
with  Champlain's  text,  slio  id  have  continued  across  Oneida  outlet, 
which  it  alicady  ap|)roaches  on  the  map."  'lliey  are  in  error  in  sayinjif 
that  il  ai)proaches  the  outUi.  The  whole  lenytli  ol  the  lake  lies  between 
them.  II  the  dotted  line  had  crossed  the  outlet,  where,  on  the  hypothesis 
of  Cieneial  Clark,  would  if  then  have  ^one  ?  h'iftlt.  If  the  tnap  locates 
the  lort  at  the  east  end  of  ()n«M(la  Lake,  as  it  ceitainly  does  on  the  theorv 
of  (ieneral  Clark,  what  then  becomes  of  his  location  (»n  Nichols  Pond, 
at  least  10  miles  in  a  direct  line  south  of  that  lake?  Sixth.  The  map 
places  the  fort  on  a  small  lake,  the  outlet  of  which  empties  into  Lake 
Ontario.  Hut  the  wateis  of  Nichols  I'ond  How  into  Oneida  Lake,  first 
passin;^  tliiouij^h  Cowasseloii.  Canasera^o  and  Chittenaiif^o  Creeks. 
How  is  this  discrepancy  reconciled? 

Dr.  Shea  impuj^ns  the  coirectness  of  the  fiu-sitiiilc  map  in  one 
particula  .  Hesavs:  "In  the  rei)roduction  in  the  nia<^a/ine  the  dotted 
line  jroes  to  the  town  ;  in  the  oriLjinal,  however,  it  stops  before  reaching 
the  lake  near  which  the  town  is  placed."  I  do  not  understand  the  fejrce 
of  this  ciiticism.  Hoth  the  oritiinal  iw\([  facsiiuih'  place  the  town  on  the 
lake.  The  chitted  line  of  the  fac-siniilc  ([uite  reaches  the  town,  while 
that  of  the  ori<;inaI  falls  two  or  three  dots  short  of  it.  The  line  of 
the  ori|Lcinal  is  (evidently  intended  to  exhibit  the  route  as  cxtendini^  to 
the  town  whether  carried  quite  to  it  cjr  not.  Does  Dr.  Shea  mean  to  be  un- 
derstood that  the  ex[)eclition  did  not  reach  the  town  by  the  line  indicated? 

The  considerations  which  I  have  presented  conclusively  show  diat  the 
map  and  the  text  are  irreconcileable,  and  that  one  or  the  other  must,  in 
some  of  the  particulars,  be  rejected.  I  prefer,  for  the  reasons  already 
stated,  to  be  governed  by  the  text.  V'et  Dr.  Shea  says  that  "General  Clark 
seeks  a  theory  which  will  reconcile  the  text  and  the  map."  Whether  he  has 
found  it  the  reader  can  now  decide.  The  effoit  to  harmonize  what  can- 
not be  reconciled  has  led  to  much  of  the  obscurity  and  confusion  which 
have  involved  this  subject.  The  route  of  the  expedition,  as  claimed  in 
my  two  articles,  is  certainly  the  most  natural,  the  most  feasible,  and  the 


•4 


ciiami'I.ain's  kxi'kdition  ok  1615 


most  in  liannoiiy  with  the  narrative  of  Champlain.  No  other  across  the 
the  hike,  and  inhind  to  the  fort,  presents  so  few  objecti«)ns,  and  no  other 
whiih  has  yet  been  su^f^ested  can  stand  the  test  of  critical  exatninatioti. 
As  t<»  the  location  of  the  foit,  I  reached  the  conclusiotj,  after  a  caiclul 
consi(U*ration  ol  all  the  data  that  could  he  obtained  a  comparison  ol  the 
map  and  text  of  Champlain,  a  study  of  the  topo^iaphy  of  the  country, 
aided  by  the  best  maps  attainable,  and  by  correspondence  with  persons 
familiar  with  the  various  localities  -that  the  objective  point  of  the  expe- 
dition, the  f(irtitied  villajj^e  of  the  Onondaj^as,  was  on  the  lake  which 
bears  their  name. 

I  have  seen  nothing  in  the  publications  of  (ieneral  Clark,  or  in  the 
learned  article  of  Dr.  Shea,  to  disturl)  my  first  impressions.  Cci  fainly  nr) 
otiiei' place  so  free  from  objection  has  been  pointed  out.  The  stronj^  lan- 
)j^uat;e  used  I  y  Cieneral  Clark  in  support  of  his  views,  while  it  is  in  keeping 
with  his  enthusiastic  convictions,  is  not  justified  by  his  facts  or  reasons. 
His  conclusions  are  valuable,  to  the  extent  only  in  which  they  are  sustained 
by  reliable  data.  I  understand  that  he  has  ready  for  the  press,  a  work 
on  the  *' I  lomes  and  Migrations  of  the  Inxpiois."  Possibly  it  will  con- 
tain his  views  more  at  large  on  the  (picstions  here  discussed. 
Whenever  any  atlditional  facts  and  arguments  to  disprove  my 
positions  are  presented,  I  will  give  them  a  candid  and  careful  examina- 
tion. I  am  Cviiistraincd  to  believe,  however,  that  We  cannot  hope  for  any 
new  data,  but  must  )e  content  to  rest  the  case  on  the  scanty  records  of 
Champlain,  the  testimony  of  the  early  travelers,  and  the  few  relics,  which 
time  has  spared,  of  the  era  in  which  the  Iroquois  met  and  successfully 
resisted  the  firearms  of  the  white  man,  in  the  heart  of  Central  New 
York. 


O.   H.   MARSHALL 


^ 


)  other  across  the 
i»ris,  aiul  no  other 
tical  examination, 
n,  after  a  tarelul 
^'()ni[)aris()n  ol  the 
'  of  the  country, 
ice  with  persons 
>oint  of  the  expe- 
the  hike  which 

Clark,  or  in  the 
IKS.    Certainly  no 

Thestron^r  lan- 
Ic  it  is  in  keeping 
iacts  or  reasons, 
ley  are  sustained 
ic  press,  a  work 
i!)ly  it  will  con- 
here    discussed. 

disprove  my 
areful  cxamina- 
lot  hope  for  any 
anty  records  of 
ew  relics,  which 
nd  successfully 
)f  Central  New 


lARSHALL 


